James Beard Public Market | Proposed

[58rhodes]

Originally Posted by PDX City-State

I think you guys are missing the point on the Beard Market.

First, it's nothing like Pine Street Market. Pine Street Market is nine restaurants under one roof and some common area seating. It's the middle ground between a full restaurant buildout and a food cart pod.

The James Beard Public Market could truly be an important civic project--one that revitalizes the waterfront, is used as an education and research center for food access and security issues, is a visible symbol of Oregon Agriculture to the world, and would add another opportunity for Oregon producers to bring product to market. There are some pretty high civic ideals embedded in that project, and that's one reason why it's taken so long to get off the ground--because Ron and the other planners refused to compromise.

I think the investment in the market would generate enough tourism dollars that it would more than pay for itself.

I dont think its a given that it would really pay for itself--we had a pretty large farmers market back in the 60s and it was on the waterfront.